Quint
by Paradoxical Weather Girl
Summary: Four things Castiel did for Deborah. One thing he didn't.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction, so please don't be too hard on me! I can handle critique and would definitely appreciate constructive criticism, but please don't just tell me how much I suck ;-;**

**Warning: A little swearing and mild sexual implications. **

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1. He took the blame for her.

"I feel so alive tonight," Deborah gasped and pressed her heel down harder on the gas. She wore a mischievous grin and a loose hot pink tank top, which was constantly slipping down from her shoulders and had been doing so even back at the club. It'd prompted Castiel to menacingly stare down several pairs of ogling eyes.

"You were great on stage," he told her. It was open mic night and Deborah had her fair share of singing at the club. She certainly looked like she could become a famous singer in his eyes, so collected but radiant as she seized the microphone and stole the crowd's attention with her voice.

"Was I really?" Hope and pride sparkled in her eyes and her smile beamed up at him.

Castiel knew she was fishing for an additional compliment, but he didn't mind. She deserved one. "Yeah. You were fantastic. I could've sat there and listened to you all night long."

"Oh, Kitten," she purred and craned her neck to kiss him smartly on the corner of his grinning mouth. Neither of them had really been paying attention to the road, so the sign on the side of the road that indicated a lowering speed limit went completely unnoticed and subsequently ignored.

She pulled back just as the shrill cry of a siren pierced the air. Blinding blue and red flashes flooded through the windows, a cop car on their tail.

"Damn it!" Deborah gripped the steering wheel tighter and floored it, much to Castiel's distress.

"Deb!? What are you doing? You can't outrun the cops!" He whipped his head from the distancing lights to his girlfriend, his eyes widened with astonishment. "Pull over!" He was half tempted to grab the wheel and physically force her to.

"I can't!" Her pink and blue eyes darted to him, glittering under a sheen of unshed tears. "If I get one more ticket, I'll lose my license!" Her voice was high and fraught and her lower lip was trembling. The authorities were quickly catching up and she was scared and clueless. She hadn't verbally pleaded Castiel for the answer to the situation, but her helpless expression had done all the pleading for her.

"Switch seats with me," he ordered. "Pull over now, we have enough time to do it before they catch up."

"What? A-Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," he nodded urgently. "Now hurry up."

She veered off to the side of the road and they rapidly switched seats, clambering over the center console and knocking into each other as they didn't dare risk being seen getting out and climbing back in. Castiel was secure in the driver's seat and hooked under the seatbelt for added favor, offering a pleasant smirk of the most infuriating kind when the offer parked his car behind them and approached. He was rather unamused by the speeding away stunt, but Castiel must've been smoother than he thought because there was no additional charge. Just the original speeding ticket.

He didn't mind taking the blame. It was a smaller price to pay than seeing Deborah lose her license.

"Thank you," she breathed when they were once more alone on the side of the road.

"Eh. Piece of cake." Castiel shrugged his shoulders and flashed her a cheeky grin. He was just happy to see that Deborah was no longer on the verge of tears.

She grinned back at him and unclipped her seatbelt, crawling into the backseat. He lifted a brow as she kicked off her black pumps and began to pull up her shirt. "Let me thank you the right way."

"Heh." He climbed back and flopped down next to Deborah, eagerly helping her pull off the shirt the rest of the way.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I couldn't really come up with a fake band and I'm a big Nana fan so I just used Blast, lol. Deborah strikes me as someone who'd be a Blast fan anyway. **

**Warning: Some swearing.**

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2. He took her to that concert even though he was sick.

The electronic device under Castiel's tongue beeped and he removed it, squinting at the numbers on the small screen.

_102.5_

Fever. He'd figured as much. His throat felt like it was coated with shards of glass, every swallow burned like he was gulping down a blob of magma, and the blunt throb of a headachebloomed between his temples. He sighed and tossed the thermometer onto the coffee table. This sucked. Not that being sick was usually gratifying, but being sick today in particular was pretty shitty luck.

That Blast concert Deborah had been dying to go to was today and the tickets on the table taunted him with the reminder.

He sighed and rolled off the couch, shuffling to the kitchen and retrieving his phone from the counter. He'd just call her and tell her to take a friend in his place. He couldn't go, not like he was. His throat was just killing him and the boisterous bedlam of screeching fans and blaring punk wasn't going to pacify his headache. A new text announced its existence on the screen and he opened it.

_Deborah: Can't wait for tonight :D I love you sooo much for getting those tickets! it's gonna be so much fun! kisses ^3^_

Damn it. What was he thinking? Of course he had to take her, sick or not! Deborah was psyched about this. So he didn't feel great, fine. Boo freaking hoo. He'd just have to man up and deal with it. She'd been looking forward to this for months and it'd be a dick move to just bail on her. All her girlfriends probably had other plans, and come to think of it, he couldn't really recall any of them having the same tastes in music as Deborah anyway.

He trudged back to the couch and flopped down, pushing his face into the throw pillow. Maybe he'd feel better if he got some rest.

Sleep didn't take too long to come, but when it came it was fitful and laden with bizarre, unsettling fever dreams. He was almost thankful when the phone rang and jerked him out of it. He glanced at the screen to see it was Deborah calling and quickly answered.

"Hey Deb," he croaked, wincing and fruitlessly rubbing his neck. Talking was as painful as gargling rusty nails.

"Hey Kitten," she chirped. "I was wondering. Should I wear that white leather dress tonight or my strawberry print one?"

Wow. She rarely ever wore either of those. She really was hyped up for this, excited like a little kid in a candy store. It brought a smile to his face. "Whichever one you prefer, babe."

"Oh, you're no help," she scolded lightly. "I'm just going to go with the leather then. I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah. In about an hour."

The shuttle bus smelled of gasoline and sweat and conditions were so cramped that even standing, Deborah was pressed right up against him. He didn't mind the latter as much as the former. He was feeling a little nauseous beforehand and the congesting stench of the vehicle was making it worse. But Deborah was quivering with excitement and going on about how much she loved the band, so he smirked and playfully feigned offense when she gushed how attractive the guitarist was.

Castiel felt like throwing up by the time they reached the pavilion but luckily managed to will away the compulsion. And after that, the rest of the night went smoothly. They had great seats and Deborah knew every word to every song and screeched for an encore along with everyone else in the crowd. He felt like crawling under the bed and dying, but she was bursting with energy and grinning from ear to ear.

She was ecstatic, and his discomfort was meager collateral damage.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yeah, that's a King of the Hill reference :P **

**Warning: Deals with that particular aspect of female health and a little swearing. **

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3. He went down that horrifying aisle for her.

Following aisle 7-B, the aisle of deodorants and hand sanitizer and other similar products, was the dreaded aisle 8-A. Castiel never went down that dreaded aisle, because it was a place reserved for women and a problem that belonged only to them, in which he did not want to involve himself with in any way, shape, or form.

And yet now he stood at the mouth of aisle 8-A, shopping cart handle in his sweaty palms and scowl on his face. He really did not want to go down there. In fact, he'd rather roll in steak sauce and throw himself in a pit of ravenous lions than go down that awful aisle.

But Castiel had to go down it. Because Deborah had begged him to do this for her with a hand wrapped around her cramping stomach and a voice laced with tears.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath, tossing awkward glances over his shoulder and not even knowing what he was looking for. Just stalling, probably. A soft buzz in his back pocket pulled him out of his delaying stupor. His phone. He picked it up and quickly opened the new text.

_Deborah: mind getting some chocolate while you're there? _

Sure. Why not. Chocolate was a cakewalk, especially after what he was about to purchase. _Sure thing babe_, he sent back to her. He sighed and at last pushed himself on into the dreaded aisle of 8-A.

Feminine products lined every single shelf. They mocked him with their bright plastic packaging. The sheer number of their variety was overwhelming and his head spun at the very notion that sifting through said variety might take some time. It made his skin crawl, he wanted to spend as little time in this lengthy aisle of horror as possible. But he sure as hell wasn't about to text Deborah back and ask her what kind she wanted.

That was just way too awkward. It was awkward enough that she sent him here to begin with, he didn't want to spend any more time discussing this with her. He just wanted to grab something, go, and forget it ever happened. But on the other hand, he couldn't just grab any random package either. Because then there was the possibility that he'd buy the wrong kind. And if he bought the wrong kind, not only would Deborah be disappointed and unhappy, but she might send him back here all over again to buy the right kind.

"Oh, fuck my life." With a low groan, Castiel simply grabbed every distinctive brand of tampon in immediate reaching distance and tossed it into the cart.

At least one out of the six had to be what she wanted, right?

He hoped so, because that was about all he could afford. He swiftly backpedaled out of the aisle and off to the cash register. A display rack of snacks and candies was off the right and he snagged the widest milk chocolate bar there.

It seemed to him that the woman at the register was being particularly sluggish with ringing it all up and he was already twitching with impatience. The man in line behind him glanced over his items of purchase with a snicker. Castiel wasn't sure whether he was more annoyed or embarrassed, but either way, shot the man an agitated glower.

"That'll be $19.31"

"Keep the change." He shoved a crinkled twenty into her grasp and snatched up the bags. It felt like an eternity before he finally made it back on Deborah's doorstep.

"Oh, thank you Kitten," she gushed. A wave of relief washed over him as she took the bags and his hands felt about ten pounds lighter. She briefly pressed her lips to his cheek.

"No problem," he said casually even though it had really felt like a problem. Ugh. He never ever wanted to do that again.

"Now go away. I don't want to see you until next week." She offered him an apologetic smile and then shut the door in his face.

As terrible and unappealing that venture was, Deborah now had what she needed and was happy with him. That made it worth the mental scarring.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Green hair guy is Jade. I just picked him randomly. **

**Warning: Swearing. **

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4. He gave her the benefit of the doubt.

School dances were so lame. The music sucked, the formal dress requirement was annoying, and the food was sub-par. Deborah didn't like them any more than he did, so Castiel wondered why he even bothered asking her to come. Probably because he was supposed to. Even if the dance itself was stupid, there was always that unspoken expectation there for a boyfriend to ask his girlfriend to it.

But now Castiel didn't even know where his girlfriend was. He lost her in the throng of students about ten minutes ago.

He looked to the middle of the gym where a few couples and a group of girls were already dancing. Deborah wasn't among them. Damn it.

Shrugging and feeling a little bit lost, he made his way back to the table with food and claimed the last mozzarella stick.

"I was going to eat that."

Castiel glanced over to see Nathaniel, looking as proper and nerdy as ever in a suit and tie. "You know what they say about the first bird getting the worm. By the way, have you seen my girlfriend?"

"No. And to tell you the truth, I'm glad I've lost track of mine." He sighed and took a cracker from the table.

"Melody being needy again?" Castiel guessed.

"So, so needy..."

"That sucks," he sympathized. He reminded himself to be grateful that Deborah never clung on to him so suffocatingly.

"There you are!" Melody trotted over, her high heels clicking against the gym floor. "Let's go dance." She seized Nathaniel by the arm and dragged him away with a girlish grin on her face. Castiel snickered softly and decided to go outside and have a cigarette.

Exiting the school, he leaned back against the cool brick and fished a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. He was digging around for the lighter when he saw her.

Deborah. With another guy. He had wavy green hair and one hand on Deborah's waist. Her hand pressed against his shoulder.

"What the hell!?" He stormed right over and grabbed the guy by the collar, furiously yanking him back. "Keep your hands off my girlfriend!"

"Your girlfriend? S-Sorry, I didn't know." The guy's eyes flashed to Deborah with a look of mingled surprise and irritation and then he quickly scampered for the gym.

"Why the hell were you touching him!?" Castiel gaped incredulously, eyes darting back to Deborah.

"I was holding him back! He kept trying to lean in and kiss me! All I could do was keep him at a distance." Her eyes wavered and she bit her lip. She was clearly hurt and the first tears fell from her eyes. "How can you think that I would cheat on you? I would never, ever, EVER do that! And even if I were the cold mean girl you seem to think I am, why the heck would I cheat with you right in the other room?"

His heart clenched when she began to cry and he let out a long sigh, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close to him. "I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't do that. It just looked...suspicious from where I was standing." He believed her. And was now a little pissed at himself for doubting her.

She sniffled and buried her face in his chest, her ruined makeup streaking and staining his pristine white shirt and ruby tie.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks for reading :D**

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5. He **didn't** fight for her.

"I'm leaving, to record and album and maybe tour in other cities...I won't have enough time for a relationship...It's best if we stop now...leave on a positive note rather than dragging it out just to go through months of fighting..."

"'A positive note?' Are you kidding me?" His chest started to hurt and his mouth went dry. He stared at her with disbelief. A positive note? Months of fighting? Did she really think he would fight her? Did she think he was angry that the record dropped him but still kept her? Maybe he was angry, yeah, who wouldn't be? But it wasn't directed at Deborah at all.

"Kitten...if you knew how sorry I am..."

She stared at him solemnly and her words were tight-lipped and gravely low.

She was breaking up with him. He was in love with her, in the gross kind of mushy way in every cheesy romance movie and in the private, intimate way that they understood each other without even trying.

Except for this. Castiel didn't understand this. He didn't understand how she could just stand there and say these things to him.

"Alright," he told her softly. "I understand...I guess we're over."

He could have fought to keep her. He could have argued and promised her that he would stay with her even if she didn't always have the time to see him. He could have promised her that he would go to every tour in every other city and watch her because she and her dream meant so much to him. He could have promised her that there would not be any months of fighting and things between them would be as smooth as ever. He could have asked her to please, please, please not do this.

He didn't.

He didn't fight.

He just let her go because she wanted to be let go, she thought it was better to let him go, and that was that.

She seemed a little surprised when his words sank in. She breathed out a slow sigh as she nodded. "Thank you. I...I want to stay together. But it's just so much better this way."

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Good luck." And then without waiting for a response, he wound around her and left the room.


End file.
